Glare shield for electric lamps



Oct. 4, 1927. 1 ,643,937

G. L. BAKER 'GLARE SHIELD FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS 'Fi'ied Sept. 15, 1926 5 3 M I 5 %M Patented Oct. 4, 1927.

UNITED STATES GILBERT L. BAKER, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

GLARE. SHIELD non ELECTRIC LAMPS.

Application filed September 15, 1926. Serial No. 135,623.

This invention relates to glare shields for electric lamps in general and particularly for use in connection with the headlights of vehicles.

7 One of the objects-of the invention is the provision of a glare shield for application directly against the bulbof an electric lamp and held in place on the latter through the yielding pressure of a resilient bulb-engaging. means to which the shield is attached, and to embody in the said means a novel form of construction and arrangement of parts whereby a positive retention of the shield relatively to the bulb may be maintained, the improved device also permitting ready application and removal of the shield relatively to the bulb.

The present invention is an improvement on the construction of a similar device disclosed by my pending application Serial No. 90.184, filed February 23, 1926, and the improved features will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1' is a side elevationof an electric lamp bulb and socket, showing the improved glare Shield'and holding means therefor applied in operative position:

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the glare shield and supporting means therefor detached and partially removed from the bulb Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the improved glare shield, showing. the supporting and attaching means therefor mainly in dotted lines;

4 is a rear elevation of the improved glare shield and supporting or retaining means therefor: and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the glare shield and improved supporting and applying means and looking towards the rear of thc shield. I

The numeral 5 designates the glare shield, which may be formed of transparent, translucent or opaque material. preferably of disk,

form and applicable against the bulb tangentially of the longitudinal axis thereof. The shield is supported by means which solely engage the bulb 6 of the electric lamp and comprises opposed clasps or embracing members generally and respectively designated 7 and 8. Theclasps 7 and 8 are identical in structure and are preferably formed of resilient wire or lengths of material having the least width possible so as to effectively serve their purpose, and said clasps coact with the bulb of the electric lamp from opposite sides of the latter. Each of the clasps is preferably formed from a single. length of, resilient wire bent into a' substantial U-shape and embodying a pair of longitudinally convex limbs or arms 9 continuous at the rear with eyes 10 connected by transverse members 10, which also continue from the eyes between the rear extremities of the limbs or arms 9 and are bent or curved in. arched formation, the two members 10 of the respective clasps 'Z and 8 being curved in reverse directions so asto conform to the contour of the rear portion of the bulb 6' of the electric lamp. -The limbs or arms 9' slightly diverge inv a forward direction and. are continued into substantially right-angu'- lar straight shield-engaging legs 11, termi nating in hooks 12 to closely fit over the periphery of the shield?) and terminally bear against the front side of the latter. The securing legs 11 continuous with the limbs or arms of the clasp 7 arereyersed relatively to the similar legs of the clasp 8, or, for the purpose of illustration. the legs 11 con-- tinuous withthe arms 9" of the clasp. 7 have a downward trend and the legs 11 continuous with the arms 9 of the clasp 8 project upwardly, both sets of legs being held in parallelism by cross connectors 13 terminating in eyes 14 through which the legs 11 ofboth clasps extend. The cross connectors 13 with their eyes 14 are located close to the bends 15 between the limbs or arms of the two clasps and the said legs, and a central clear space. as at 16. is thus provided at the rear side of the shield 5 to receive the front convex extremity of the bulb 6 of the electric lamp.. The connectors 13 with their eyes 14 are movable relatively to the legs 11 and maintain the latter in close parallel relation and also operate to draw the terminal hooks 12 in close association with the periphery of the glare shield 5. and by this means the shield is immovably held to practical operating position without penetrating the same for the purpose of securing the arms 9 thereto. as in the prior structure disclosed by my pending application hereinbefore specified.

The securement of the arms 9 and thelegs 11 over the bulb 6 is, in the present instance, rendered advantageously effective by connecting to the eyes 10 ot the arms 9 of the upper clasp 7 for instance, catches-17 which are formed with eyes 18 at their upper ends for movable association with the eyes 1.0 and have a series of notches 19 formed in their inner opposing edges fully to the free means for the shield 5 to bulbs of different dimensions. The catches 17 may be readily attached to the lower eyes 10 and quickly detached from. said latter eyes in applying and removing the improved structure to an electric lamp bulb. A further feature of structure in relation to the arms 9 is the lateral or outward deflection of the said arms as clearly shown by Fig. 4. This lateral bent formation of the arms provides for firmly engaging the bulb 6 at such points as will. be most effective in preventing the attaching means for the glare shield from loose movement or the least displacement especially when the catches 17 are secured as'shown by Fig. 4.

The upper and lower clasps with the catches 17, legs 11 and connectors 18 form a cage en'ibodying, in accordance with the features of'construction heretofore explained and shown in the drawing, yielding and adjustable characteristics of advantage in applying the said cage to the bulb of an electric light and also for immovably holding the shield 5 in engagement with the said r; cage.

In its preferred use, the present invention provides an advantageous adjunct to an automobile headlight, the glare shield softening or inhibiting the direct unreflected rays of the bulb and avoiding objectionable glare,'which is the primary cause of many accidents. The improved glare shield with its supporting cage also has the further advantage in that its use involves no change or alteration in existing headlight construce tions, and it may be readily applied to or removed from the bulb in an expeditious manner, and through its resilient engagement with the bulb, it maintains a permanent position despite vibration of the vehicle. The improved attachment may be manufactured at a comparatively small cost. It will be understood that changes in the proportions, general dimensions and minor details of construction may be adopted without departing from the spirit of the inven tion or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A glare shield device including a. glare inhibiting memberand means for yieldably holding said member against an electric lamp bulb andcomprising upper and lower clasps with front angular extremities, terminating in hooks embracing the periphery of the, said member and independent adjustable catch devices for holding the clasps in en agement with the light bulb.

2. A glare shield device including a glare inhibiting member and means for yieldably pressing said member against an electric lamp bulb and consisting of upper and lower clasps to embrace the bulb, the said clasps having forward angular means for engaging the periphery of the member and rear adjustable catch devices for separably connecting the two clasps.

3. A glare shield device including a glare inhibiting member and means for yieldably pressing said member against an electric light bulb consisting of a cage for embracing the bulb and having means at the for-- ward portion thereof for removably engaging different parts of the periphery of the member and also rear clasp devices for adjustably'drawing the' rear portions of the cage inwardly against the bulb.

4. A glare shield device including a glare inhibiting member and a resilient supporting cage therefor shaped to embrace an electric lamp bulb and yieldably pressing said member against the bulb the cage having rear independent pivotally mounted catch members adjust-ably holding opposing parts thereof in close association with the lamp bulb. V

5. A glare shield device including a glare inhibiting member and a resilient-supporting cage therefor shaped to embrace an electric lamp bulb and yieldably hold the said member against the forward extremity of the bulb, the cage comprising upper and lower clasps with forward reversely and angularly bent legs terminating in hooks to engage different portions of the periphery of the member, the said legs being provided with independent pivoted catch means for the said legs to effect a tight association thereof with the said glare-inhibiting mem ber.

6. A glare shield device including a glare inhibiting member and a resilient supporting cage therefor shaped to embrace an elec' tric lamp bulb and yieldably hold the said member against the forward extremity of the bulb, the cage comprising upper and lower clasps with forward reversely and angularly bent legs terminating in hooks to engage different portions of the periphery of the member the said legs being provided with connecting means for effecting a tight association thereof with the said glare inhibiting member, the rear portions of the clasps ha'ving adjustable catches to separably connect the rear extremities of the clasps and hold the cage in positive association with the bulb and also provide for applying the cage and member to bulbsof differe'nt'di mensions.

7. A glare shield device including a glare inhibiting member, a supporting cage therefor including resilient clasps having front reversely angularly bent legs terminating in hooks to embrace different portions of the periphery of the said member, and independent pivoted means attached to the rear extremities of the respective clasps forseparably and adjustably securing the said clasps relatively to the rear portion of an electric lamp bulb.

8. A glare shield device including a glare 1nhibiting member, a supporting cage therefor including opposed resilient clasps hav- 15 ing front, reversely bent, angular legs terminating in hooksto embrace different portions of the said member on opposite sides of the center of the latter, the clasps being adapted to embrace an electric lamp bulb and having cross members at their rear extremities and also catches to adjustably hold the said rear extremities and the cage as a Whole in positive applied position relatively to the'electric" lamp bulb, the glare in- GILBERT L. BAKER. 

